Violet Riot

by Nate Galger (27yrs. Blimey! Old with 5 months o' rocket buildin' experience)

This rocket started off as a bt-80, a sheet o' 1/16" plywood, and a plan t' make something. Begad! I wasn't sure exactly what be t' come o' it, but I am thrilled with t' way it turned out. Avast! Avast! I wanted some cool lookin' fins so I drew a few different designs up and I liked t' way these looked. Blimey! Another one o' my ideas be that t' fins would have t' look tough. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I also wanted t' make a rocket with a big engine and since this was t' be me very first custom built rocket(I've only been a model rocketeer since Jan. '04) and t' biggest rocket I've built this far used a "C" engine, ya bilge rat, I went with an "E". Aye aye!

I started by drawin' me fins onto a piece o' scrap paper and proceeded to cut t' design out. Begad! Avast! Next, ya bilge rat, I traced t' fins onto me plywood and then usin' a hobby knife, matey, cut out me four fins. Ya scallywag! Immediately, I held t' fins up t' t' body tube t' see how it would look... Arrr! Ahoy! I like t' way they looked already! My next plan o' attack be t' get t' engine mount in. Begad! I purchased an Estes mount kit for D and E engines. Blimey! I followed t' directions and before I knew it, ya bilge rat, I had the engine mount installed in me body tube. Ya scallywag! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Awesome, I thought, matey, this is goin' to take a big engine! Then I drew t' lines on me body tube for t' fin placement and also a line for me launch lug. Next I cut slits in t' tube where me fins were goin' t' slide into. Blimey! I then glued on me fins one at a time, what a long time t' wait. Arrr! Oh well, arrr, me bucko, t' wait be finally over and time t' do t' fillets. And again t' dreaded wait. After t' fillets dried, which seems like an eternity, ya bilge rat, I glued on t' launch lug(and o' course waited for that t' dry) and did t' launch lug fillet. Begad! Now this stack o' rocket parts be startin' t' look like something. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Wow!

About a week before I started on me rocket, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I be at a local hobby store and saw a can o' metallic purple paint. Well, matey, blow me down! It looked super cool so I picked it up without t' knowledge o' what I be goin' t' paint with it. Ahoy! Now I know! Since my glue be dry, I figured I better paint this baby and see how t' paint job turns out. Well, blow me down! It looked superb. Ya scallywag!

Now I needed t' come up with a name. The name was goin' t' have t' be just as cool as t' rocket itself. Avast, me proud beauty! Hmmm... Begad! Begad! Violent Violet? Violet Violence? Neither one sounded just right. Well, blow me down! Purple Bomber? Naw, that sounds lame. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I thought and thought. Avast! Then it came t' me like a flash of lightning. Ahoy! VIOLET RIOT. Yeah, it's cool, me hearties, tough, and it fits t' paint job nicely. Avast! Now I would have t' find some artistic way t' make this rocket live up to it's name. I connected t' Ask Jeeves picture search and typed in rioter. Arrr! I found some pretty cool pics. Arrr! I saved t' ones I really liked which consisted of molotov cocktails, me bucko, ya bilge rat, a riot policeman whose helmet reads " If you can read this you're about t' get your head kicked in," and a riot control van. Begad! I proceeded t' resize and then print out me rock-art. Aye aye! Then I got out some newspapers and cut out t' letters t' name me rocket. Ahoy! Blimey! I glued t' pics and letters onto t' rocket and t' molotov cocktails on t' fins. Begad! After it dried, I used some clear paint in a number o' very light coats t' protect me homemade decals. There we go. Avast, me proud beauty! It looks better than I ever could've imagined. Arrr! Hmmm... I think this might need a nose cone. Ya scallywag! I thought o' turnin' me own out of styrofoam, me bucko, but I'll wait till I build a few more rockets before attempting that. T' Estes Fat Boy I have on me shelf stares me down just waitin' t' be used for another purpose. Arrr! I couldn't take it anymore. Ya scallywag! Aaargh! I ripped t' nose cone out o' that sucker and sanded off t' red paint. Then I painted it in a soothing, arrr, matey, calmin' purple. Aye aye! Ahhh. Begad! Now I can Relax. Avast, me proud beauty! But nay before addin' a parachute, shiver me timbers, o' course. My Violet Riot looks really awesome considerin' I didn't know exactly what I was plannin' on buildin' in t' first place. Well, blow me down! It all just came together, ya bilge rat, I am proud o' me very first model rocket built from scratch with a big engine and a bad attitude!

So what on Earth became o' t' flight?

First flight be on an E9-4 clear skies, matey, 60 degrees. Begad! Wind be about 5-7mph. Start t' long awaited countdown... Ya scallywag! 5, 4, me hearties, 3, 2, shiver me timbers, 1... Woosh! T' rocket took off. I be hopin' for a good flight and I am pleased t' announce it went better than I could've ever imagined. Arrr! My Violet Riot took t' t' skies as if it was destined t' go t' it's home in space. Ya scallywag! Then after t' 4 second delay, me hearties, the parachute deployed. T' wind took me rocket on a little journey, but it landed safely in t' grass. Blimey! No damage whatsoever. I could fly again! Second launch, temp 47 wind 10mph. Another safe and beautiful flight, shiver me timbers, just as majestic as the first. I am lookin' forward t' many more beautiful launches from this super cool rocket. Avast! Blimey!